The doubling of New Bongaigaon -Guwahati doubling via Goalpara is likely to be completed by March 2023.
Doubling of this 176-km long section was sanctioned in September 2016 at an anticipated cost of about Rs. 2,950 crore. This year’s budget has allocated Rs. 610 crore as against last year’s Rs 450 crore.
The line crosses the Brahmaputra just after Jogighopa and provides a faster alternate double line route between New Bongaigaon and Kamakhya.
Project completion status
A distance of 17.46 km of the project has been commissioned for train operations.Nearly 50 per cent of the project works has been completed as on date with Rs 1095 crore already spent.
The entire project has been segregated into various sections. Work upto Bamunigaon station is likely to be completed by December 2021,
Bamunigaon–Azara section is targeted for commissioning by February 2022 and finally the section up to Kamakhya by March 2023.
The line will have 379 minor bridges,56 major bridges,61 road-under-bridges / limited height subways. Station buildings, 16 in number will be constructed.
Benefits
After commissioning of the entire project, line capacity will be augmented enabling Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) to run more goods and passenger trains easing traffic in the already saturated main line between New Bongaigaon and Kamakhya.
Moreover, connectivity to Mendipathar Railway station in Meghalaya’s North Garo Hills district will get better. The line to Mendipathar veers away from Dudhnoi railway station located in this section.